Could NY Jets QB Aaron Rodgers be the Madden 24 cover athlete?

Believe it or not, NY Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has never graced the cover of a Madden video game. Despite his four MVPs, 10 Pro Bowl appearances, and Hall-of-Fame resume, Rodgers has never been chosen to be a Madden cover athlete.

Could that change this year? It's at least possible.

EA Sports is set to announce this year's cover athlete for the Madden 24 video game on Wednesday, and there's some speculation that Rodgers could be the chosen cover athlete.

NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky said that the "person on the cover won't be shocking" and that the player is "as hot a name as any in the NFL." Rodgers would certainly meet that criteria, although he's not alone, of course.

NFL.com's Bobby Kownack listed Rodgers as one of a few players who "deserve consideration" this year, even comparing it to when Brett Favre was chosen to be on the cover of Madden the same year he was traded to the Jets. Perhaps time really is a flat circle.

Will NY Jets QB Aaron Rodgers be the Madden 24 cover athlete?

Favre was famously named the cover athlete of Madden NFL 09 in the 2008 offseason, only for him to be traded from the Green Bay Packers to the Jets a mere five days before the release of the video game.

As a result, Favre still appears on the cover of the game in a Packers jersey. Fortunately, that wouldn't be a concern with Rodgers and the Jets — EA Sports should have ample time to make the switch.

Unless you count Favre wearing a Packers jersey, the Jets have never had one of their players on the cover of a Madden video game. The same is true for their division rivals, the Buffalo Bills, although that might change this year.

The early rumor is that Bills quarterback Josh Allen is the odds-on favorite to be chosen as this year's Madden 24 cover athlete. Buffalo Fanatics even reported on Twitter last week that it was essentially a done deal.

That report is yet to be verified, and it likely won't be until tomorrow, but that hasn't stopped many from running with the idea that Allen will be chosen. Rodgers can make a strong case, however.

Rodgers is one of the greatest players in NFL history. His resume is as impressive as anyone to ever play the game. And yet, he's never been selected to be on the cover of Madden.

Guys like Peyton Hills, Vince Young, and Dante Culpepper have been Madden cover athletes. Hillis even beat out Rodgers in a vote to be the cover athlete for Madden 12.

Rodgers is one of the most high-profile players in the NFL right now. He's on a team that has been discussed as much as any other team this offseason. This might be his final chance to appear on the cover of Madden.

Ultimately, we'll find out who EA Sports has chosen on Wednesday. Maybe it is Allen and Jets fans will be hoping the so-called "Madden curse" continues. Or maybe, just maybe, EA Sports will throw Rodgers and the Jets a bone.